Offboarding: Taking Your Project In-House or Changing Provider
We always aim to build long-term client partnerships, but we recognise that circumstances change. This article explains the offboarding process if you decide to bring your project in-house or move to a different supplier.
Your Rights to Your Work
Subject to all fees being paid in full:
- You own the intellectual property (IP) in the custom code, designs, and content we have created for you (as specified in your contract)
- You are entitled to receive all source code, design files, and documentation in a usable format
- We will not hold your work or data hostage — timely handover is a commitment we stand by
Notice Period
Your contract specifies the notice period required to terminate the engagement. For ongoing retainers and managed services, this is typically 30 or 60 days written notice. Please check your specific contract terms. During the notice period:
- We continue to deliver contracted services at the agreed level
- We begin preparing handover documentation and materials
- You may request a handover call with your new provider to facilitate a smooth transition
What the Handover Includes
- Code repository transfer — we will transfer or provide access to the full Git repository (GitHub, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, etc.)
- Design assets — Figma, Adobe XD, or other design files exported and shared
- Documentation package — technical architecture, deployment guides, environment variables list, API documentation
- Credential handover — all third-party account credentials provisioned by us, transferred securely (we will not retain copies after confirmed receipt)
- Data export — if we manage a database or CMS, a full data export in your preferred format
- Domain & DNS transfer — if we manage your domain or DNS, we will transfer registrar access or update nameservers as instructed
Transition Support
We offer a paid transition support period during which we can:
- Answer technical questions from your new development team
- Pair programme or walk through complex areas of the codebase
- Provide written answers to a structured Q&A document
This is charged at our standard consultancy day rate. Speak to your Account Manager to agree scope and duration.
Outstanding Invoices
All outstanding invoices must be settled before final handover of credentials and assets. Partial handover (e.g. code without credentials) can be arranged if a payment plan is in place — contact your Account Manager to discuss.
We Wish You Well
Even if an engagement ends, we are happy to provide references, case studies, and endorsements with your permission. We also maintain a warm-door policy — many clients return to us after a period of in-house management or an unsuccessful switch to another provider.